GUSTAV PEDERSEN OFF TO A FLYING START FOR WILIER-VITTORIA: FIRST WORLD CUP PODIUM

All eyes were on him, and Gustav Heby Pedersen delivered. The Danish U23 rider gave Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team its first big smile of the season, kicking off the 2025 UCI MTB World Series with a brilliant third place in the U23 men’s XCC race in Araxá, Brazil. Pedersen battled all the way to the line, narrowly missing the win and finishing just 1 second behind Norway’s Sondre Rokke.

It’s the first-ever World Cup podium for the young Danish champion, confirming the steady growth he showed toward the end of the 2024 season. His joy and pride at the finish line were contagious—a true breakthrough moment.

“Being on the podium at a World Cup round has been a dream of mine for a long time, and now it’s come true,” said a glowing Pedersen. “I’m not even sure it’s fully sunk in yet—it’s such an overwhelming feeling. I really want to thank everyone who believed in me through the ups and downs. But this is just the beginning—we have to keep pushing, there’s still a long way to go.”

In the same race, Italian champion Elian Paccagnella also put in a strong performance, finishing 8th in the leading group.

In the U23 women’s race, Canada’s Ella MacPhee impressed with a strong 4th place, missing the podium by mere hundredths of a second. In the elite women’s field, Sofie Heby Pedersen finished 12th, showing promising early-season form.

In their World Cup debut in Wilier-Vittoria colors, Luca Braidot finished 7th, while Juri Zanotti crossed the line in 13th. European champion Simone Avondetto came in further back, but with Sunday’s XCO race on a fast, flowing course, he’ll be looking to bounce back and play to his strengths.